Another killer stingray

[Tricky]

First Steve Irwin, and now this. Another person has fallen prey to the Deadly Stingray Menace (http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/349368).

A 35-kilogram stingray killed a Michigan woman yesterday when it flew out of the water and struck her face as she rode a boat in the Florida Keys, officials said.

The "Death Ray" appears to have been a terrorist, since it was a suicide attack.
The stingray died from the impact, officials said.

Of course, stingray apologists (from Islamorada, like that doesn't give it away) were immediately trying to downplay the attack.

"Rays jump to escape a predator, give birth and shake off parasites," said Lynn Gear, supervisor of fishes and reptiles at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. "They do not attack people."

That must be one hell of a jump.

[Bikewer]

Here in the Midwest, we are being infested by Asian jumping carp. These fish, which may go to 50 pounds or more, get excited by passing boats and leap head-high out of the water.
Not something you'd want if you were tooling along at 30 knots.
There was a recent bit of film from a news crew out to film the phenomenon, and the reporter caught one right in the kisser. Fortunately uninjured...

[Badger]

Here in the Midwest, we are being infested by Asian jumping carp. These fish, which may go to 50 pounds or more, get excited by passing boats and leap head-high out of the water.
Not something you'd want if you were tooling along at 30 knots.
There was a recent bit of film from a news crew out to film the phenomenon, and the reporter caught one right in the kisser. Fortunately uninjured...

Oooh, carp-skeet!

You might consider opening a guiding business.

[Polaris]

"Rays jump to escape a predator, give birth and shake off parasites," said Lynn Gear, supervisor of fishes and reptiles at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. "They do not attack people."

I'd almost like to see that - it's got to be one hell of a way to come into the world.

Beyond the obvious 'getting hit in the face by a 75-lb fish', I wonder if the cause of death was from a broken neck or swelling of the brain. Until I heard that the impact killed the ray as well, I thought perhaps she died from hitting her head on the deck of the boat, or a rail.

[articulett]

Those stingrays have been down in that ocean evolving longer than we have-- I wouldn't be surprised if they're planning to take over...

[Darth Rotor]

Those stingrays have been down in that ocean evolving longer than we have-- I wouldn't be surprised if they're planning to take over...
Good point, but perhaps that thought belongs in its own thread in the CT forum. (Critter Theories.)

DR

[Walter Wayne]

Those stingrays have been down in that ocean evolving longer than we have-- I wouldn't be surprised if they're planning to take over...
I was under the impression we had been evolving for the same amount of time.

[WildCat]

Oooh, carp-skeet!

You might consider opening a guiding business.
It has spawned a new sport where you try to shoot the carp with an arrow when it leaps out of the water:


AyPaxIpoyM0

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

You know, we didn't have these stingray attacks when Grant Devine was Premier.

[Darth Rotor]

You know, we didn't have these stingray attacks when Grant Devine was Premier.

Nor when Jimmy Carter was President. All we had to worry about in those days was attack rabbits.

DR

[Bikewer]

And I thought I was joking about aerial shooting the jumping carp....

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

I always thought sea creatures were jerks. This case verifies that. Watch out for the dolphins, too.

[Tricky]

I always thought sea creatures were jerks. This case verifies that. Watch out for the dolphins, too.
Oh yeah, the damn ocean is full of jerky animals. Sharks, sea urchins, jellyfish, stonefish, stingrays, puffer fishes... You can't wave a flipper without bumping into one that will bite or sting or inject venom or poison or electrocute or skeletonize you.

As for the murderous stingray, I'll bet that "giving birth in midair" thing is what drove it to a homicidal rage, just thinking about us in our nice antiseptic hospital beds with lots of pain-killing drugs, and her having nothing but the classic "Leap and push" method. Life just isn't fair.

[articulett]

I don't trust them... the ocean has been harboring life...especially weird life longer than earth... and those things have scads of offspring at a time... all the time... and it's murky and dark... no light of day in some places...

I like the earth where the creatures breath gases not liquid... and things happen in day light and it's not so murky... we have fossils and such--It takes Elephants nearly 2 years to gestate... fish, man, they pop out millions at a time-- and then they do it again and again... lots of chances to evolve weird and deadly strategies... a giant poisonous stinger wasn't enough... this thing has evolved stealth capabilities and leaps from it's abyss when we humans least expect it... and who knows what the jellyfish are up to with their headless bodies... and Octopuses with their blue blood. I don't trust any of them...

I saw Jaws in my youth...

And Jaques Costeau always looked like he knew things he couldn't quite convey--

[Hokulele]

I like the ocean and all of its inhabitants. :(

We do not have many (any?) stingrays out here, but I have seen Spotted Eagle rays jumping, and on one very memorable occasion, a Manta ray rose out of the depths not far from where I was sitting on a boogie board, waiting for a wave. Scared the dickens out of me, as they are very large creatures going airborne. I have seen baby hammerhead sharks circling in Kaneohe Bay, various octopi "standing guard" over their holes, and jellyfish swarming for who knows what purpose.

Bad things happen randomly to people (and stingrays). Don't let it keep you out of the water. :)

[articulett]

The Manta Ray was "rehearsing"...

Wear a helmet next time...

(... wait... you're not one of "them" are you... )

[Hokulele]

The Manta Ray was "rehearsing"...

Wear a helmet next time...

(... wait... you're not one of "them" are you... )


Damn, articulett is onto me. ;)

I still owe you a beverage of choice at TAM 6. :)

[mrbaracuda]

The Manta Ray was "rehearsing"...

Wear a helmet next time...

(... wait... you're not one of "them" are you... )

He seems to be a damn seafood apologist! :mad:

;)

[plumjam]

It's a terrible pity the deceased wasn't, as far as we know, some kind of enthusiastic religionist. That would have gone down a lot better here at JREF.
(Think goats, ropes, and long-time preachers)

[blobru]

The Manta Ray was "rehearsing"...

You know what he was really rehearsing, eh?


"It's another, two killer stingrays..."


:tongue-ti :tongue-ti

[PrincessIneffabelle]

I don't trust them... the ocean has been harboring life...especially weird life longer than earth... and those things have scads of offspring at a time... all the time... and it's murky and dark... no light of day in some places...


The Killer Stingrays are just a front for the Freakin' Huge SeaStars (http://news.aol.com/story/_a/giant-marine-life-discovered-in/20080321101809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001).

You have been warned.

[Elizabeth I]

Here in the Midwest, we are being infested by Asian jumping carp. These fish, which may go to 50 pounds or more, get excited by passing boats and leap head-high out of the water.
Not something you'd want if you were tooling along at 30 knots.
There was a recent bit of film from a news crew out to film the phenomenon, and the reporter caught one right in the kisser. Fortunately uninjured...

The reporter, or the carp? :p

[articulett]

You know what he was really rehearsing, eh?


"It's another, two killer stingrays..."


:tongue-ti :tongue-ti

:fg:

The Eagles would be proud (or something).

[articulett]

The Killer Stingrays are just a front for the Freakin' Huge SeaStars (http://news.aol.com/story/_a/giant-marine-life-discovered-in/20080321101809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001).

You have been warned.

They look like chicken...
from Mars

Or maybe Carls Junior Star abortions

[Elizabeth I]

The Killer Stingrays are just a front for the Freakin' Huge SeaStars (http://news.aol.com/story/_a/giant-marine-life-discovered-in/20080321101809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001).

You have been warned.

Well, that's a relief - I thought the photo was going to be of those nasty-looking crown-of-thorns starfish that are eating the Great Barrier Reef. Ick.

[Tricky]

You know what he was really rehearsing, eh?


"It's another, two killer stingrays..."


:tongue-ti :tongue-ti
OW! OW! OW!
(nominated)

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

We don't have an ocean in Saskatchewan. I blame the NDP.

[articulett]

There's none in Vegas either, but we have Shark Reef.

I Blame Lisa Simpson (as my skeptic masters have brainwashed me to do).

[Foster Zygote]

It's a terrible pity the deceased wasn't, as far as we know, some kind of enthusiastic religionist. That would have gone down a lot better here at JREF.
(Think goats, ropes, and long-time preachers)

Or a child. That would have been worth some laughs.





(For any readers not familiar with the reason for my response: For the record, I do not think there is anything remotely funny about the deaths of children.)

[Foster Zygote]

There's none in Vegas either, but we have Shark Reef.

I Blame Lisa Simpson (as my skeptic masters have brainwashed me to do).

Is the mayor of Las Vegas a super villain bent on stealing all the world's monuments?

[Foster Zygote]

In the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix Alan Stacey was killed as a result of being struck in the face by a pheasant. They may not weigh 35 Kg but when you hit one at 160 mph it's quite a blow. He was so stunned by the impact that he probably wasn't conscious during the resulting fatal crash.

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

In the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix Alan Stacey was killed as a result of being struck in the face by a pheasant. They may not weigh 35 Kg but when you hit one at 160 mph it's quite a blow. He was so stunned by the impact that he probably wasn't conscious during the resulting fatal crash.



Remember when Fabio got hit in the face by a goose when he went on a roller coaster? It wasn't funny, because he got hurt, but man, was that funny.

[Tricky]

Remember when Fabio got hit in the face by a goose when he went on a roller coaster? It wasn't funny, because he got hurt, but man, was that funny.
It was funny, not because he was hurt, but because of his image as a pretty boy.

While this is a topic for another thread, there is the lingering question, "Should you laugh at death?". I am in the "pro-laugh" camp. While death is tragic and horrible in many situations, my feeling is that the only way to deal with tragedy is with comedy. How many stand-up comics have made death a part of their routine? How popular are The Darwin Awards?

I've spent my whole life hoping people would be happy. I would hope that people laugh and joke at my funeral. They can even make fun of me. I won't care. Bad puns are especially welcome. ("It's another two killer stingrays". snort.)

[articulett]

I remember; it was hysterical. He had a bloody nose... it wasn't that big of a deal. And he took it so seriously, that is what was funny.

It's crass to laugh in front of survivors... but there is something good about being able to turn a tragedy into humor for those of us not involved. Fabio should have laughed at himself. I don't expect the loved ones of people dead by sting ray to laugh, but I don't think that our jokes hurt anyone at all. Everyone is going to die... some of us will prefer a freak accident to whatever it is that finally does us in.

[rdaneel]

Ah, so I wasn't a bad person for singing (Years ago)

Mike, Mike, Mike of the Kennedys, skiing fast and free
Aaaaahhhhhhaahhhhhahhhhhhahhhhhh
Watch out for that tree......

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

Well, dying while playing football on skis is a ridiculous way to die. Just like the guy who went to all the trouble of making a dummy seatbelt to throw over his shoulder so he wouldn't get tickets crashed into a tree and died (while high on crystal meth). Comedic genius.